OSPREY. 25 



brown, the feathers elongated. The Avhole of the upper surface 

 of the body and wings dark brown ; the ends of the wing- 

 primaries black ; the upper surface of the feathers of the tail 

 waved with two shades of brown ; the chin and throat white ; 

 across the upper part of the breast a few feathers tinged with 

 light brown, forming a band. The under surface of the body, 

 the thighs, and under tail-coverts, white ; under surface of 

 the wing white at the axilla, brown on the outer edge ; under 

 surface of the wing-primaries dark brown, the shafts white ; 

 under surface of the tail-feathers barred with greyish brown 

 on a white ground : the legs and toes blue ; the tarsi reticu- 

 lated ; the toes partly reticulated, but with a few broad scales 

 near the end ; under surface of the toes covered with short, 

 sharp spines, admirably adapted for holding a smooth and 

 slippery prey : claws long, all of nearly uniform length, 

 crooked, forming one-third of a circle, sharp, and solid, — 

 that is, not grooved underneath ; their colour black. 

 The vignette below represents a Hawk''s hood. 



